Next steps
Initial steps:
1. My new bike is a Surly Disk Trucker. I bought it because it has a granny gear and is designed for long tours. It is heavy—32 lbs with racks, heavy Schwalbe Marathon tires, fenders and other hardware—but it is steel and considered a great long-distance touring bike. I had a Salsa Vaya but it didn't have a granny gear and I need one, so I looked on craigslist and found a 52 cm Surly for sale in Portland so took Amtrak down and bought it. I had my local Montlake Bicycle Shop service it and on the other end of this have the perfect bike for me for this tour. $850 + $500 for replacing rear cluster, brake pads and rotors, and front small gear. With advice from from MBS (see below) I changed the stem to raise the handlebars and put on new handlebars and tape. The newer bars have a more horizontal platform when resting my hands on the brake levers, are a little broader and have less drop.
But more important than buying a bike is finding a bike shop. I'm very lucky: One of the best bike stores ever is just down the block from our home: Montlake Bicycle Shop. We've been customers and friends for over 30 years. Their advice is worth far more than what I spend there, but then we've bought many bikes starting with little bikes with training wheels and now our children are loyal customers. It makes a strong argument for businesses to do the right thing and benefit in the long run. At least I hope they benefit.
2. I've told lots of people I'm going to make this trip, and that means I am more likely to do it. If I don't, people will ask me how it went for years to come. So in a sense this serves as support for my plans.
3. For me, preparing for any trip starts with buying a book or a guide. For the PCT this is a Mountaineers book on the Southern California or Washington sections. For travel with Amy, almost always I get the Lonely Planet guide for the destination. For a cross-country bike trip, the standard is the Adventure Cycling Association map set—11 maps that provide direction and suggestions for the entire trip. I bought this set last year to peruse and stimulate thinking. They are folding waterproof maps that I'll use along with digital guides to find not only the route, but crowdsourced recommendations for food, hotels, campgrounds and other essentials.
- I bought a bike
- I've told friends and family I'm going to do this
- I bought the Adventure Cycle maps
1. My new bike is a Surly Disk Trucker. I bought it because it has a granny gear and is designed for long tours. It is heavy—32 lbs with racks, heavy Schwalbe Marathon tires, fenders and other hardware—but it is steel and considered a great long-distance touring bike. I had a Salsa Vaya but it didn't have a granny gear and I need one, so I looked on craigslist and found a 52 cm Surly for sale in Portland so took Amtrak down and bought it. I had my local Montlake Bicycle Shop service it and on the other end of this have the perfect bike for me for this tour. $850 + $500 for replacing rear cluster, brake pads and rotors, and front small gear. With advice from from MBS (see below) I changed the stem to raise the handlebars and put on new handlebars and tape. The newer bars have a more horizontal platform when resting my hands on the brake levers, are a little broader and have less drop.
But more important than buying a bike is finding a bike shop. I'm very lucky: One of the best bike stores ever is just down the block from our home: Montlake Bicycle Shop. We've been customers and friends for over 30 years. Their advice is worth far more than what I spend there, but then we've bought many bikes starting with little bikes with training wheels and now our children are loyal customers. It makes a strong argument for businesses to do the right thing and benefit in the long run. At least I hope they benefit.
2. I've told lots of people I'm going to make this trip, and that means I am more likely to do it. If I don't, people will ask me how it went for years to come. So in a sense this serves as support for my plans.
3. For me, preparing for any trip starts with buying a book or a guide. For the PCT this is a Mountaineers book on the Southern California or Washington sections. For travel with Amy, almost always I get the Lonely Planet guide for the destination. For a cross-country bike trip, the standard is the Adventure Cycling Association map set—11 maps that provide direction and suggestions for the entire trip. I bought this set last year to peruse and stimulate thinking. They are folding waterproof maps that I'll use along with digital guides to find not only the route, but crowdsourced recommendations for food, hotels, campgrounds and other essentials.
